Newsletter 1 - Penola Primary School

Respect and Responsibility
PO Box 125
Penola SA 5277
Ph: 08 8737 2300
Fax: 08 8737 2877
Governing Council Chairperson: Stuart Sharman
Principal: Paul Harmer
E-mail: paul.harmer381@schools.sa.edu.au
Website: http://www.penolaps.sa.edu.au
Newsletter 1
5th February 2015
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Term 1
February
2nd—12th
9th
13th
17th
17th –18th
Assembly—Yr 3 Heyn
R-3 Splash Carnival
Governing Council AGM 7:00pm
Yr 3-7 Swimming Timings
Off the Planet—Science show
20th
F-2 Staff in Adelaide for observation
District SAPSASA Swimming Day
Team Game Practice
23rd-24th
Lisa Burman Project (F-2 Staff)
27th
4th
Assembly - Yr 6 O’Connell
Swimming Carnival (11:30am)
Alpha Show: Cinderella
9th
Public Holiday (Adelaide Cup)
12th
27th
Cybersafety Parent Information
Night—Community Event
Assembly— Yr 4/5 Williams
Yr 4/5 and 6/7 Cybersafety Sessions
Assembly— Yr 4/5 Lear
29th
Rose Farm Open Day Fundraiser
13th
April
Parent Club AGM—7:30pm
19th
24th
March
Swimming Lessons
3rd
GOOD FRIDAY
6th
EASTER MONDAY
8th
SAPSASA Athletics—Millicent
10th
As a result, resources and training will be directed in these
areas. More details about some of the initiatives and
strategies to achieve outcomes will be presented in future
newsletters.
Welcome
We are very excited to welcome our 22 new Foundation
Assembly— Foundation (Mrs Finch)
Last day Term 1—2:15pm dismissal
year students to our school. Most are very familiar with our
school and surrounds due to transition programs in 2014
and have settled in well.
A big welcome to Taya-Lee Wright, Georgia Williams,
Maggie Bell, Fleur Croser, Chiara Wagner, Matilda Marlow,
Zain Fatchen, Jaeda Rowsell, Bryce Catlin, Jacob Howlett,
Dylan Stevens, Nash Radford, Hamish
Wilson, Clancy Eastwood, Ella Skeer,
Emmity McElroy, Finn Woolston,
Harrison DeGaris, Stirling Nankivell, Coby
Higgs, Maddison Ellery and Jayden
Aughtie.
Dear Parents and Friends,
Welcome to the 2015 school year. I am really looking
forward to this year and building on from our achievements
in 2014. 2015 also sees the commencement of a new Site
Improvement Plan with a slight change in priorities for 2015
-17. With a focus on building powerful learners, our
priorities in 2015 will be directed towards:
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We also welcome other new families to our school.
Annabell Denton (Yr 2) from Kalangadoo via Tasmania,
Jessica (Yr 4) and Abbey (Yr 2) Gerritson from Eudunda,
Lucy (Yr 4) and Bryce Catlin from Meningie and Kane (Yr 7),
Amy (Yr 7) and Jye (Yr 6)
Whitehouse from Tasmania
via Clifton (Qld). We hope all
our new students have
Quality pedagogy in numeracy
settled in well and will have
Improved skill development and achievement in
a great experience at our
Literacy, with a focus on spelling and grammar
school. (See back page for
Building quality dispositions in children through play. more photos)
Jess and Lucy with Ms Lear
We welcome our new staff members,
Karmel Finch (Foundation), Nicole
Lear (Yr 4/5) and Melanie Sims (Yr 7)
Welcome back to Stacey Walters (Yr
3) and Olivia Thomas
(Curriculum and
Intervention
Coordinator)
R-7 Science: Merran Jolley (0.8)
R-7 History (and Geography for F-2): Cathy Heyn (0.4 )
Tony has also been selected to fill the role of Numeracy
Coach. An overwhelming majority of staff supported
the school’s decision to continue this position,
regardless of whether it was funded by DECD or not.
The positive impact it has had on teaching quality and
student achievement has been noticeable and we are
confident this will continue in 2015. As part of the
DECD results+ Strategy, there is a possibility this
position will be externally funded. We are still waiting
to hear whether or not our application has been
successful.
Play and Early Years Education
Research is increasingly proving that developing strong
characteristics or dispositions in children is essential to
their ongoing success, not only at school but in
decision making ongoing for life. With that in mind, our
staff is developing and changing how we teach in the
early years. This has become even more important with
Same First Day policy in place and students starting
school younger than ever before.
To ensure our practice is research-based, teachers will
be involved in observations and visits of other schools,
working with Early Years expert, Lisa Burman and
attending other training days.
This will mean that on occasions, teachers will be out of
school. By using familiar relief teachers, we hope to
maintain structure for our Early Years students. The
benefits of this professional development will
ultimately ensure our students are getting a quality
curriculum, incorporating play, and setting themselves
up for future success. Please speak to Olivia or any of
the F-2 teachers if you would like to know more.
Our support staff includes:
Marcia Hunt—Administration / Finance
Kerry Dent—Administration / classroom support
Toni Cadzow—Classroom support
Dione McDonald-French - Classroom support
Janet Brodie– Library / Classroom support
From my visits to classes so far,
Michelle Barry—Classroom Support
students seem to have settled in well, Rosalia Faux—Canteen and Catering Manager /
with many positive comments from
Classroom Support
teachers about their class.
Matt Crewe—Grounds Superintendent and facilities
manager/ Classroom Support
Leadership Structure
James Braddy—ICT and network manager
Due to the positive feedback from both parents and
staff about our existing leadership structure over the
Parent Information Night
past three years, we are once again running with two
On Tuesday, we held a successful Parent Information
coordinators. Both positions were advertised with
Night and thank the many parents who came along to
Olivia Thomas and Tony O’Connell being the successful listen to what we have in store for 2015. It was a good
applicants.
opportunity for parents to meet all the staff and their
Olivia will take on the role that Anna Copping had
child’s teacher.
previously filled, which is, Quality Teaching and
Learning Coordinator, as well as taking on the
Interviews
Intervention role. Olivia will be working part time, with In response to feedback from previous years, we will be
Monday and Tuesday being her standard days.
holding our first round of interviews in two weeks. This
Tony will be School Management Coordinator and his
is an opportunity for parents to have 15 minutes to
role will be very similar to last year.
speak one-on-one with the teachers about your child’s
learning needs and set goals for the year. Information
We believe a team approach will give us a broader
and notes for this will be distributed via your child's
range of strategies to solving problems and allow
teacher/s. Please take this opportunity to be a part of
delegation of responsibilities to areas of expertise.
your child’s learning.
Staffing
As mentioned at the Parent Information Night, the rest
of our staffing for 2015 will be:
Foundation: Karmel Finch / Fiona Holberton
Yr 1:
Jamie Sheppard
Yr 1/2:
Julie Hogg
Yr 3:
Cathy Heyn / Stacey Walters
Yr 4/5L:
Nicole Lear
Yr 4/5W:
Julianne Williams
Yr 6:
Kathy O’Connell
Yr 7:
Melanie Sims
Cybersafety Information sessions
Penola Primary School in conjunction with Penola High
School and Mary MacKillop Memorial School
supported by Bendigo Bank will be hosting Cybersafety
Awareness sessions for all students from Year 4 and up
in March.
Importantly, a parent and community awareness
session will be held on Thursday March 12th for all
parents and community members who wish to attend.
How much do you know about what your child can
access on the Internet? What is SnapChat, Facebook,
Instagram, Kik, etc, and what impact does it have on
your child?
World Renowned Cybersafety expert, Susan McLean,
will present a very informative 2 hour session aimed at
parents. Times and venues are to be confirmed, but
please put this in your diary as an important event to
attend. It is planned that this will be a free event,
funded by all three schools and the Penola Branch of
Bendigo Bank.
Parent Club
The Parent Club Committee hopes that everyone has
had an excellent school break and welcomes you back
to the new school year. The AGM will be held next
Monday (9th Feb) at 7:30pm. All parents are welcome
to attend.
Swimming
Swimming Lessons have begun with our instructors, Jo
and Sue. We have been fortunate that the weather has
been not too cold so far with hotter weather on the
way. It is pleasing to see the participation rate has
been very high.
The Reception to Yr 3 students will celebrate the end of
their swimming with a Splash Carnival on Friday 13th
February.
Students from Year 3-7 will be having time trials on the
17th –18th February in preparation for their Swimming
Carnival. It is encouraged that all student from Year 4-7
have a go at qualifying for the tabloid freestyle event.
Governing Council
Students in Year 3 who are capable of swimming a lap,
The Governing Council welcomes any parent or
will be invited to tryout.
caregiver who would like to become more involved
Students should be prepared by bringing their
with the running of the school to come to the AGM
swimming attire for these days.
which will be held on Tuesday 17th February at 7:00pm The Swimming Carnival will be on Friday 27th February.
in the school library. A new council will be elected for
the year and will meet 2 times per term. Being part of
School Fees
the Governing Council gives you an insight into the
The school fees for 2015 are set at $215 for the year.
decision-making of the school and allows your voice to An invoice for the fees has been distributed with the
be heard. Positions of Chairperson, Vice Chairperson,
Day 1 forms that went home. Parents have the option
Treasurer and Secretary will also be elected on the
of paying fees in one lot or in instalments.
night.
If you have had a change of circumstances or think you
Current Governing Council
may be eligible for school card, please see Marcia for
One year to serve
the forms.

Stuart Sharman

Pete Balnaves
Parking

Louise Perry
Please be aware of the areas you are and are not

Silvana Stephens
permitted to park. The area across the road from where

Heidi Boyd
the buses pull up is not only inconvenient for the

Melissa Hunter
drivers, but also a dangerous place for children to cross.

Sandy Moorhouse
Be aware that parking inspector and other authorities
may be monitoring the school over the next few weeks.
Tenure finished and /or need to renominate
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Pete Crewe
Trish Brand
Darren Skeer
Kirsten Croser
Cindy Hutchesson
We are always looking for more new people to be
interested in joining the Governing Council. For more
details contact Paul Harmer, Stuart Sharman, or any of
the above Governing Councillors.
Buses
With good numbers at all the local public schools, many
buses are reaching capacity. This means that it is
essential to have good communication. Please be aware
of the following points:

If your child/ren will not be travelling on the bus
either on the am or pm route, we ask that you
please inform your bus driver and if your child/
ren are on the bus in the morning but will not be
travelling home on the bus, please advise your
driver in the morning. This will alleviate the driver
waiting either at the school or at your bus stop (in
the morning) unnecessarily.

The Monbulla/Wattle Range, Nangwarry and the
Kalangadoo bus routes are currently running at or
near capacity. We ask that families on those bus
runs do not ask or arrange for ‘extra’ students to
travel on those bus routes to go to your home for
sleep overs, birthday parties etc. There is not
enough room on these two bus routes for extra
‘ineligible’ travellers at the moment.

All bus families on the Casterton Road, Coonawarra,
Dorodong and Maaoupe bus routes are reminded
that there are LIMITED SEATS available on these bus
routes and if you wish an extra ‘ineligible’ student to
travel on your bus route to your home, that you
need to complete the ‘green’ “Unauthorised
student to travel on a school bus” permission slip
prior to the student travelling. The green forms are
available from the office at the High School, Primary
School and Mary MacKillop School and are to be
signed by the Parent/Guardian and ALSO the
Principal/Delegate of your school. This form is then
given to the bus driver when the ‘ineligible’ student
gets on the bus. This has been the procedure for
the past couple of years and bus drivers may refuse
travel for that student if they do not have the signed
permission slip when they get on the bus.

You are reminded that on days of a declared
Catastrophic Fire Ban, Penola Schools will remain
open BUT buses will not operate. You will be
notified via SMS (or landline for Dorodong &
Kalangadoo township families) the afternoon prior
and a letter will also be sent home with students if
we receive notification in time. However, you are
asked to please monitor weather forecasts during
the summer months and to be fully aware of these
procedures in case we cannot contact you.
Volunteers
We are indeed fortunate to have many volunteers who
help out with camps, listening to reading, cooking etc. It is
strongly advised and in some cases (such as camps, driving
students etc) made compulsory by the Department that
volunteers have police checks. Parents are not permitted
to attend school camps without a current police check.
The school is able to offer this as a free service to any
current or potential volunteers. All that is required is that
Paul sees 100pts of ID, some paperwork and it is then sent
off. These are valid for three years. If you would like to
have a clearance, please see Paul.
House Captains
This week students have been electing House Captains
through a secret ballot. The process involved students in
Years 6/ 7 nominating for the position. They gave a short
talk last Friday after which their house mates were given
the opportunity to vote. Voting will be on a preferential
basis. The result of the vote will be announced at a quick
house meeting on Friday morning. The captains will be
presented to the school at the next assembly.
Student Representative Council
In the coming weeks, students in Years 4 – 7 classes will
vote for student representatives. Nominations will be
called and classes will work through a process prior to
voting.
This year we are continuing with a streamlined approach,
with fewer students being part of meetings. This was
found to be a much more effective way of getting things
done and elected members having their say.
The process for electing the executive will be finalised
shortly, with students from Year 6 and 7 given the
opportunity to nominate. Karmel Finch will be
coordinating the SRC in 2015.
No Hat No Play
You are reminded that this term is a No Hat No Play Sun
Safe term. We have had a fantastic response to date –
thank you. We have plenty of new hats in both sizes in
stock available for only $12.
The Garden
Thanks to Matt and his helpers, the garden has been
growing beautifully over the holidays, with lots of fresh
herbs and vegetables ready to harvest. We will be
implementing Market Day on Fridays when there is an
assembly. After assembly the gym kitchen will open up for
sales of the fresh produce. Notice of what is for sale will
be e-mailed out and included in the newsletter if known.
Year Book
The 2014 year book is in its final stages of being put
together. The teachers have put all their pages together
and with the very capable Laura O’Connell helping to
compile it, we are not far off sending it to the printers.
The cost of the book is $15 and will be ready in about 3-4
weeks time. Books will need to be pre-ordered through
the office, if not already done.
Penola and District Bendigo Bank is pleased to begin
school banking at Penola Primary School for 2015 on
February 12th and continuing every second Thursday
thereafter.
Bendigo bank is a community bank that gives back to
the town in the way of donations and community
involvement, we’re a community bank that’s about
more than just money, we’re about the good money
can bring and the things you don’t expect from a
bank. When you, and your children, are account
holders you’re involved in the giving back to the
community and supporting community events that
make a difference in Penola.
All students with a Bendigo Bank account are invited
to participate in the school banking program and
children that would like to begin school banking can
drop into the bank to set up an account or ring the
bank on 87 372 400 to enquire.
Students can bring bank books to school on school
banking days, they will be collected by their teacher,
the money banked and returned that afternoon to
the school.
Canteen News
The canteen is up and running for 2015 with our
fabulous manager, Rosalia Faux , continuing in the
position.
She has already spent many hours in the last few weeks
preparing and cooking lunches so that our food and is
fresh and home made where possible. We also source
all our bakery products and groceries from local
businesses. All the pastas, fried rice, wraps, salads etc
are all made by Rosalia in the canteen.
A price list and menu has gone home with the start of
the year notes.
To help keep our canteen going, we also appreciate the
efforts of parents who volunteer to help out on Fridays
or to make munchies. Rosalia has been amazed with
the response, with over 45 overs of help alone. Thanks
to everyone who has put their hand up to help out or
make munchies.
Piano and Guitar Lessons
Guitar (Tuesday) and Piano (Friday) Lessons will
continue this year with our very capable and DECD
accredited instructors. Costs and lesson structure
varies with each instrument. There are currently places
available If you are interested in your child taking part,
please contact Paul for more information.
Found
A black and red digital watch was found after the
PIN night. Please see Paul if you think it may be
yours.
Community News
1st Penola Scouts in 2015
Our group is still running 3
sections and our year has
started this week.
The Joey Scouts, for
children from 6&7 yrs old
(Tues 3.30-4.30pm). Joeys have a great time with
games, stories, craft, songs, and sleepovers.
Cubs is open to boys and girls of ages 8-10 (Wed
3.30-5pm) and Scouts is for 11-15yrs old (Wed
6—7.30pm). Both groups have fun in earning
badges in bushcraft, camping craft and other
challenging activities.
The Scout Hall is on Riddoch st opposite Penola
Primary School. If your kids would like to try out a
few evenings come along for free.
For more information call Group Leader Silvana
87372404 or 0448537215
Leader needed
Are you looking for a rewarding worthwhile
experience? Consider being a leader, in particular
a Joey Leader. You would be fully supported by a
parent committee, group leader and district
leader. We are desperate to continue this section
but it is at risk of closing if we get no-one to lead
it. Please call above number.
Milo Cricket
Milo Cricket recommences on the 7th Feb 2015—
9am to 10am at the Mary MacKillop Memorial
School oval.
The remaining dates are the 7th, 14th, 21st and
28th of February.
Any queries call Jackie on 0409 693 239.
Top left: Annabell and Abbey. Individuals (l-r) : Kane, Amy and Jye
Right: Jayden Aughtie
Below Left: Harrison, Finn and Stirling
Below Right: Emmity, Coby and Maddison